Oklahoma has one of the nation's highest percentages of persons with a serious psychological disorder at 13.3 (National Survey on Drug Use & Health). The Oklahoma Department of Corrections indicates that approximately 12,600 offenders have a mental health need. In addition, 57% of inmates diagnosed with a mental illness were incarcerated for non-violent offenses. The Oklahoma County Jail has as many as 500 persons with a mental illness at any one time and the Tulsa County Jail has at least 200 persons with a mental illness at any one time.

Mental health court programs are a smart investment. The Oklahoma Department of Corrections identifies that the average annual cost to house an inmate with mental health needs is $23,000, while the average annual cost for mental health court is $5,400. This amounts to a savings of $17,600 per year per participant. Additionally, mental health court programs improve unemployment rates, decrease jail days, and decrease inpatient hospitalization days leading to further savings.

Mental Health Courts currently operate in 14 of the 77 counties in the state.